Chesterbrook Academy Company

This Nobel prizes a strong foundation built on education. Nobel Learning Communities operates more than 180 private schools across 15 states and the District of Columbia. These range from preschools (including six Montessori schools) and elementary schools to middle schools and private high schools. Operating under such brands as Paladin Academy, Laurel Springs School, and Houston Learning Academy, Nobel's schools offer standard curriculum as well as programs for students with mild learning disabilities and online programs. Nobel's Links to Learning pre-K curriculum is designed to prepare children from ages six weeks to five years for school. Founded in 1984, Nobel Learning is owned by Leeds Equity Partners. Change in Company Type In August 2011 Nobel Learning Communities was acquired and taken private by the New York-based private equity firm Leeds Equity Partners for about $125 million. Leeds Equity Partners seeks out established companies with leadership positions in their industries. The purchase of Nobel followed a difficult time for the education company. The deep recession in the US caused enrollment to drop, at a time when the company was facing higher operating costs related to a spate of acquisitions. Geographic Reach The Pennsylvania-based company operates schools in the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Operations In addition to preschools, elementary, middle, and specialty high schools, Nobel Learning operates a K-12 distance learning online college prep school. When school is out, the company operates before-and-after-school programs, as well as the Camp Zone summer program for children between the ages of four and 14.  Strategy Nobel Learning has grown largely through acquisitions, using its buying power to move into new markets and deepen its presence in existing ones. Its purchases have included (but are not limited to) Houston's The Honor Roll School, the San Diego-based Discovery Isle Child Development Center, and Ohio-based preschool chain Enchanted Care Learning Centers. In 2009 it acquired Laurel Springs Schools, giving it an online presence and global distance learning programs for grades K-12. The following year it picked up Gifted Child Studies, which added an additional elementary school in San Diego to Nobel's line-up. The company also grows by establishing new centers and by expanding the facilities it already owns. In 2010, for example, the company opened four preschools. It prefers to create school clusters, where elementary schools are strategically located near preschools with the hope that students will remain in Nobel schools as they advance through their education.